Finding the inspiration to try hard things

At a performance last weekend, I expected to be inspired.

But the way I found inspiration was unexpected.

My wife and I attended a musical performed by two actors. One actor went to high school with my daughter. We know she is very talented and has a beautiful singing voice.

Her performance didn't disappoint.

She sang beautifully throughout the performance. Over the years since high school, she's continued to mature as an actress. She hit all the right notes and was clearly the star of the show.

Inspirational!

She's worked hard to hone her craft over the years, and it shows.

Her co-star was inspirational for different reasons.

He had the unenviable task of performing with my daughter's friend. And he was a great actor. His gestures, facial expressions, and movements conveyed what his character felt. And we, the audience, felt it too.

But singing isn't his strength.

I put myself in his shoes.

Would I be willing to sing in a performance with a star whose voice is on a different level entirely? Can I imagine myself singing for half the show in front of a live audience, around 45 minutes of singing time?

Would I be willing to sing in front of an audience at all?

This actor's courage was an unexpected source of inspiration to me.

He tried something that's not his strength in front of a live audience.

If something is hard, it's too easy for me to avoid doing it. But that keeps me in my comfort zone. It holds me back from trying new things and learning new skills.

How can I even learn what my strengths are if I don't try things that are hard?

In my imagination, this young man discovered strength within himself. He discovered a kind of courage that few people have.

Or maybe he already knew this about himself.

Another thing I imagine is that without his courage, this show wouldn't have happened. The star needed a co-star. Without the co-star, we wouldn't have experienced the star's performance.

Sometimes this is true for us.

We're not always the star of the show. Sometimes we're the co-star. And that's not just okay, it's fantastic!

Because without the co-star, there's no star.

After this experience, I’m considering a couple of questions and hope you will too.

• Where am I stretching myself by trying things that aren't my clear strengths?

• What opportunities do I have to be a co-star so that a star can shine?